


Everything About Him

by efrondeur



Category: RWBY
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Falling In Love, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-07-26 15:06:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7578802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/efrondeur/pseuds/efrondeur
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James didn't mean to fall in love, but he did.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Everything About Him

**Author's Note:**

> As per usual, I didn't edit this as well as I should have, so I'll probably go back tomorrow morning and fix this.
> 
> Until then, enjoy!
> 
> Based off of AniPenDragon's prompt: character A slowly falls in love with character B over the course of several years, realization hits them that they’ve been in love with B for a long time hits them like a truck - Ironqrow:

"If you were one of my men, I would have you shot!" yelled James.

“If I was one of your men I’d shoot myself,” retorted Qrow. James bristled. They had been arguing since the moment they had gotten out of the elevator.

“That can be arranged, you arrogant little-”

“Boys!” yelled Glynda. “There are current matters far more important than your little shit show. Stop acting like children and report in.”

Qrow and James shut their mouths, but their eyes continued their battle. James’ were cold, piercing, and commanding, while Qrow’s were warm, fluid, and challenging. James was the one who turned to Ozpin first, starting to relay his intel. Qrow smirked when he turned his back.

 

* * *

_Three months later._

 

James and Qrow were at the Crow Bar, James sipping lazily at his whiskey while Qrow downed it as quickly as he could.

“Remember when we couldn’t stand each other,” said James. He turned slightly towards Qrow.

“Who says I still don’t?” asked Qrow.

“Oh,” said James. He steeled his face and turned back to his drink, hanging his head slightly.

“Jim, I’m kidding.”

“James.”

“Whatever.” He nudged James lightly with his elbow. “You do know I was kidding, right? You’re my friend. I like spending time with you.”

James smiled and turned back towards Qrow. “Yeah, I do.” He thought for a moment. “You, too.”

Qrow smiled back at him. "Although before? Damn, I couldn't stand you. You were so stubborn, still are, just... I dunno, nicer about it."

James laughed. "The same goes for you, too."

Qrow's smile grew wider. "Fair."

 

* * *

  _One year later._

 

James woke up to a furious knocking at his apartment door. He lifted his head and looked up at the clock. _3:49 a.m._ Who the hell would be at his door?

He got up slowly and padded over to the door, scratching absentmindedly at his stomach under his shirt. He looked through the eyehole, and… Qrow? Wasn’t he supposed to be in Vale right now? He opened the door.

“Qrow, it's almost four, why are you here?” asked James. His voice was deep and raspy. He saw Qrow’s pupil dilate slightly.

James looked down, only to see Qrow’s hand wrapped around his stomach.

“May have gotten in a fight and kicked out of the inn I was staying at. I just need a place to crash for a day or two. Can I stay here?” asked Qrow.

“Uh, yeah. Come in.” James took a step back, opening the door more for Qrow to come in. Qrow walked into the room with a slight limp. “Should I check you out?”

“I mean, it’s not like I would stop you,” responded Qrow with a wink. James looked at him plainly. “Sure.”

“Take off your shirt and lay on the couch,” said James as he walked over to grab his first aid kit.

“You could at least buy me dinner first.”

“ _Qrow_.”

“Sorry.”

Qrow slowly unbuttoned his shirt, wincing a couple times when he moved too quickly. He laid down on the couch, kicking off his shoes as he did so.

James came back into the room holding the kit. Qrow watched him from where he was, and James felt himself flush under his gaze. He walked over to Qrow and put the kit down on the floor next to him.

First he checked Qrow’s ribs, brushing his fingers along each one, feeling for any cracks or breaks. Feeling none, he assumed any pain was just bruising.

He saw a scratch on Qrow’s right arm, the one closest to him. He grabbed the first aid kit, and took out the antiseptic, a cotton ball, and gauze. He doused the cotton ball with antiseptic and dabbed it onto the wound. Qrow winced and tried to pull his arm back, but James held tight. He kept doing until it looked like it didn’t sting anymore. Then he unraveled some gauze, wrapping it around his arm until it covered the scratch in a few layers.

“Does anything else hurt?” asked James. He looked Qrow in the eye, only to see that his pupils had dilated even more.

“Nah, not really,” answered Qrow, his voice lower than normal. James felt himself flush again. “Thanks, Jimmy.”

“James, and it’s no problem. Are you okay with sleeping on the couch?”

“‘Course. Thank you.”

“Goodnight, Qrow.”

“G‘night, Jimbo.”

James rolled his eyes as he walked away, but he didn’t correct him.

 

* * *

_Three weeks later._

 

James had asked Qrow to come into one of his classes as a guest speaker about a month ago. He wanted a huntsman who wasn’t used to working in the military to talk about what the job was truly like.

However, something about Qrow always made his heart flutter in his chest. He always felt so nervous under the smaller man's gaze. Constantly worried that he smelled bad. It was always something or another that made him anxious that Qrow wouldn't like him anymore, and he didn't know why it bothered him so much.

So, as Qrow was sitting on the desk, cross-legged, talking about his most recent mission, James tried his best to make sure he wouldn’t make eye contact with him. He sat by the side of the classroom, only barely visible in Qrow’s peripheral vision. 

“When you freelance,” said Qrow,” usually sheriffs will be the ones to call you, unless it’s a bigger town or city. They will likely call you for three reasons. One, there’s a Grimm attack, or a herd nearby. Two, there’s a criminal or criminals in town and they need an expert’s help. Or three, there’s a missing person who disappeared in the forest or whatever surrounds that particular village. Of course, there will be other reasons, but those are the main ones. Most will offer a cash reward. Some villages don’t have enough income, and simply can’t afford something like that.

“And, kids, is where things get more complicated. You, of course, can take the job and not take any money, that’s always an option. But similarly, you can turn down the job if you want money and won’t get it.”

A kid in the back row stood up. “But why wouldn’t you just help them? Isn’t that the right thing to do?”

“Depends on your point of view. On the one hand, most would say yes. Helping people shouldn’t mean that you always get something in return. On the other, you might have hungry mouths to be feeding, and a roof to put over their heads. Maybe you just don’t have the time to spare to take a job that doesn’t give money when you so desperately need it.”

The kid sat back down as another stood up. “Are there ever people who ask hunters to take jobs and then trick them into doing something bad?”

“Oh, yeah, it’s always possible. That’s why you should always ask for as many details as possible before you take the job. Always trust your conscience, it will tell you what to do. There are some hunters though that will specifically look for what you might consider a ‘bad job’,” Qrow used air quotes. “And before you guys ask, it could be for a myriad of reasons. Sometimes, might just be because that person is a ‘bad person’. And, in all honesty, you can never really-”

James tuned out the rest of the conversation. Instead, he started to watch Qrow. He saw how, when Qrow would dig into his memories, he would space out slightly, re-immersing himself into it. When one of the kids asked a question, Qrow’s gaze would soften. He would be gentle with his words. He made sure every kid got a lengthy and comprehensible response, and he answered their question to the best of his ability.

“General?”

James shook himself from his thoughts. Qrow was staring at him expectantly. He must’ve said it multiple times.

“Sorry, could you repeat what you said?” asked James.

“‘Course. How do you think being a huntsman differs from being a specialist in the Atlesian Military?”

Well, this was gonna be a long one, thought James.

 

* * *

_Seven months later._

 

James and Qrow were walking through the courtyard at Beacon. They talked of their recent travels.

James spoke of his visit to Mistral, to test out a new type of bullet on a large hoard of Grimm attacking one of the major cities. It was exponentially more effective, and the Atlas Military was planning to integrate it everywhere their Knights were stationed.

Qrow talked about his visit to Patch to spend the holidays with Taiyang and the girls. He regaled their epic stories of chasing Zwei around the house after the dog had rolled around in mud, Yang’s first attempt at making cupcakes, with somehow ended pieces of cupcake splattered all over the walls, and Taiyang trying to learn how to sow for the hundredth time, only to end up sowing his thumb to the shirt.

The two laughed to the point where they couldn’t see straight.

As they recomposed themselves, Ruby and Penny skipped over to them.

“Hi Uncle Qrow! Hi General Ironwood.” called Ruby.

“Salutations,” said Penny, giving her signature salute.

“Hey kiddos,” said Qrow.

“Mr. Ironwood?” asked Penny. She started to wring her hands together.

“Yes, Penny?”

“Do you, maybe, uh,” Penny looked at Ruby, who gave her an encouraging smile and nod. “Do you think I could maybe go to Beacon?” She spoke the last few words quickly.

“You could maybe what?” asked James.

“Go to Beacon.” She stood up a little taller and enunciated her words more.

James looked between her and Ruby. He sighed. “I don’t know how I feel about it, but ultimately it isn’t my choice. It’s yours and your father’s. I can call him later tonight and ask him how he feels about it, but I suggest you call him before I do. Might help sway his opinion.” He winked at her.

Penny clapped her hands together while Ruby jumped for joy. “Thank you Mr. Ironwood!”

“That doesn’t mean ‘yes’, though.”

“I know,” she said, smile plastered across her face.

Ruby tugged on Penny’s arm, pulling the other girl away with her as she waved and Penny saluted to the men.

They waved back at the girls.

James turned towards Qrow, who was smiling softly at him. His eyes were soft and gentle.

“What?” asked James. But for a moment, James lost himself in those eyes. They were so warm and so full of lov-

“Nothing,” said Qrow as he shook his head slightly and shrugged his shoulders, effectively cutting James off from his thoughts.

James eyed him suspiciously, but the two moved on, finishing their walk.

 

* * *

_Three days later._

 

James walked into Qrow’s classroom at Signal. Class was in session, but it looked like they were all working on projects, for the room was very chatty and very busy. There were teens running around, asking people for help with different sketches, this, that.

As he looked around, he saw Qrow was talking one of the girls, who looked like she was on the brink of tears. He had a hand on her back, rubbing circles and a pencil in his hand, pointing at different things on the paper in front of them.

“-here is where it’s going wrong. Can you tell me how?” James heard Qrow ask her as he neared them. He paused a respectable distance away, giving the two their space. She shook her head, a single tear falling down her cheek. “That’s okay, kiddo. It’s alright. Hey, hey, hey. Look at me, Sienna.” She looked at him. Qrow crouched down so that he was slightly below her line of sight.

“I don’t expect you guys to be able to get this all right away. Weapons-making is a very complex and meticulous subject, and it’s really easy to get things wrong. I can’t even tell you how many times I had to remake my scythe because I made it wrong, or it was ineffective, or it just simply wasn’t a good design. This weapon won’t be your weapon for the rest of your life, by any means. This is your time to make mistakes, just make sure you can learn from them.

“Now,” Qrow started to whisper, “I’m gonna let you in on a little secret.” Sienna nodded. “Once these are made, we’re gonna test them out, and let me tell ya, there will probably only be one or two that will work. After that, we come back in here, redesign, and remake them, and we’ll do that until everyone’s works. You don’t have anything to worry about, okay? Just don’t tell the other kids.” She nodded again. “That’s my girl. Okay, so, right here,” Qrow turned back towards the blueprints, “the gears don’t line up well enough to make a smooth transformation between rifle and sword, so what you gotta do-”

Suddenly, James felt like he had been hit by a truck. Everything started to slot into place, and James wasn’t sure how much he liked it. The reason his heart would race when Qrow was near. The way he would stumble on his words whenever Qrow talked to him. How he would always feel like he was floundering around Qrow. Why he cared so much about a man he used to hate.

He was in love with him.

Qrow wasn’t just his friend, and, at this point, James wasn’t sure if he ever really was. He had felt this way about Qrow for years upon years.

The school bell yanked him out of his thoughts.

“Alright everyone, next class we will be finalizing our designs next class and then we will construct our weapons. This is an all day thing, so if you have any conflicts, tell me ASAP. Dismissed,” said Qrow. After thinking for a moment, he added, “And we will be using the forge, so dress appropriately.”

As the class filtered out of the room, Qrow finally saw James. James stood there, watching Qrow. His eyes were wide and his hands were clenched by his side. He stood still, and it looked like if someone moved too fast, it would send him running.

“Hey, Jimmy. What’s up?” he asked as he walked over to James.

James opened his mouth, then closed it again, only to quickly reopen it. “I, uh, I w-was, um,” he stuttered. Qrow’s head tilted, brows furrowed in confusion, and James had to look away; this man was just way too cute and way too attractive. He sighed, taking a moment to recollect himself. “Ozpin wants t-to meet with you tomorrow for lunch.”

“Okay. Are, uh… is something wrong?” asked Qrow. His head was still tilted slightly, but now he looked worried. He took a step closer to James, but James took a step back. Qrow immediately stopped.

“Um, yeah, I just think… I should get going. I’ll see you,” said James. He turned and fled the classroom.

 

* * *

_That night._

 

There was a knock on James’ door. He walked over to open it.

As he pulled it open, Qrow stood across from him, left hand on his hip. He walked into the apartment uninvited. “We should talk.”

“Why? About what?” asked James as he closed the door. He crossed his arms over his chest defensively.

Qrow turned and glared at him. He looked angry. Why was he angry?

Qrow shook his head. Looked at the floor. Shook his head again. Then he walked forward quickly, straight into James’ personal space. James held his ground, ready for the smaller man to hit him. Instead, Qrow put his hands on James’ arms and gently uncrossed them, placing them at his sides. Qrow then put his hands on James’ chest, rising up onto his tip toes. His breath ghosted across James’ jaw.

“Can I kiss you?” asked Qrow, voice barely above a whisper.

James gave a small nod in response. He tilted his head down slightly. It was Qrow who finally closed the space between them, pressing a kiss that was entirely too short to James’ lips.

Qrow broke the kiss and stood back on his feet, staring up at James. James’ heart fluttered in his chest. Qrow’s pupils had dilated, and his lips were slightly swollen. There was a flush coming up his necks and ghosting his cheeks.

James cupped his right hand, uncovered, against Qrow’s jaw. Qrow leaned into it. James used his hand to tilt his head up as he bent down to kiss Qrow, in earnest this time. Qrow slowly brought up his arms to wind around James’ neck as James’ other hand found his hip. The one kiss turned into many, only taking a break when they needed to breathe.

They rested their foreheads together while they got their breathing under control, Qrow's arms still around James' neck while James' hands rested on Qrow's hips.

“I was right," whispered Qrow, smiling. "God, I’ve wanted to do that for so long."

“Me, too,” said James. There was a moment of silence. "We should probably still talk, though."

"Yeah. Just one more minute."

James rubbed his hands up and down Qrow's sides. "Of course."

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are love!
> 
> [My tumblr](http://qrowisbae.tumblr.com)


End file.
